Inception: Rise of the Heir
After the murder of Hepzibah Smith, Tom Riddle disappeared for ten long years. He sank deeper into the Dark Arts & pursued knowledge that others could only dream of, consorting with the darkest members of wizarding society. With his eyes set on North America, he has no idea that the magic he so desperately seeks will shape his life & his inevitable future for years to come. TomxOC
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for my o/c's and my own storyline.
Tom apparated into what felt like a barren wasteland, save for the blanket of stars set into the indigo and violet sky above him. A small house sat eerily off in the distance, alone and small compared with the vast dunes of sand and dry cracked earth that surrounded it. Sparsh desert shrubs lay scattered across the dusty ground, their shadows hauntingly still as he walked past them.
A shrill scream escaped from one of the open windows, his heart picking up pace when he had realized what had happened.
He was too late.
Approaching the house quickly, he murmured a spell that encompassed the premises, closing the world off from what he could only guess was happening inside the house, no one would be able to see the residence under its shield, nor hear the bone chilling screams pouring out from within the home.
"Not that it's necessary...I doubt another soul is around for miles…" he thought to himself, if there were neighbors or surrounding houses, the distance between them provided more than enough privacy and solitude for them to remain unnoticed, her crimes still protected from wandering eyes. His footsteps hastened and he felt his heart beat heavily in his chest as he closed the distance between him and the small adobe dwelling, unsure of the scene that he was about to discover.
The house was dark inside, no light or lamp flickering from behind the small windows that faced him and an unearthly calm lay in the air around it. He approached a small grey door and reached for the handle turning it slowly, the latch giving way and the wooden frame swinging open slowly as he let go. Breathing in slowly to silence his rapid heartbeat, he began to wonder if his unease was due to a perplexing concern for her well-being or a perverse excitement to see what horrors she had inflicted upon the household.
"Unlocked of course…" Tom thought to himself disdainfully, "Muggles always assume their safest when they're truly at their most vulnerable…"
Stepping cautiously into the house, he held out his wand before him, prepared in the instance if Lyra turned on him as well, unwilling to suffer the same fate as her victims. Walking softly across the small house he passed a kitchen and living area, each neat and tidy, neither of which would lead anyone to believe something was awry inside. His attention was captured suddenly when he heard another loud scream escape from the other end of the house, followed by choked sobs of terror, his focus now upon a big black hallway separating him from the chaos.
Through the darkness, he could see shapes moving from the room at the end of the hallway, their shadows dancing against the walls, illuminated by the moonlight. He advanced carefully down the hall, his steps calm and silent and stood outside the door while he listened, his heart racing in his chest. Strange noises and the sickly sound of what sounded like bones cracking apart filled his ears and he braced himself, swinging the door open softly. Only half prepared for what he assumed to uncover, the sight before him was unlike anything he had imagined, gruesome and grisly and although the night masked some of the horrors of what had enfolded, not all were so easily disguised.
A man's body lay strewn across the floor, the front of his chest torn open as if it were made from paper, his bones and ribs split apart in a horrifying manner. He watched in revulsion as the creature lay crouched over him, its horrid face buried deep down into his flesh, its claws ripping and tearing at his entrails. Swallowing his disgust he stepped forward slowly, the blood on the carpet squishing uncomfortably under his feet as he steadily raised his wand. Before he could murmur an incantation to try and sedate her he heard a strangled sob to his left and felt a body rush into his arms, a muggle woman he hadn't noticed until now, clawing at his shirt as she screamed in a language he couldn't understand.
"It appears the night hasn't ended yet…" He thought to himself, acknowledging that the screams were not from the victim but his partner, her shock and terror preventing her from escaping...not that she would have been able to if she had wanted.
The disgust spread across his face as he looked down at the woman, her cheeks were stained with tears and her clothes matted with blood, she continued to pull at him and point to the man in shock. He felt no pity or remorse for the woman before him and instead felt anger at her audacity, her disgusting fingers wrapped around his shirt.
"Filthy muggle. You'll find no comfort from me."
Tom grimaced as he looked towards the creature which appeared to be un-phased by the woman's shrill screams, continuing to devour the man. He closed his eyes and took a breath, thinking carefully about his next steps.
"It won't be distracted for long…"
There was too much damage already done to simply wipe the woman's memory clear, the time insufficient for him to place new altered memories inside her head...and if he was to be perfectly honest with himself, he didn't care to. To aid a muggle in such a way seemed to him unnecessary and pointless, he would much rather watch her suffer, to hear the bones crack within her, the cries of pain a symphony to his ears….but at the same time he felt loath to give the creature another meal. There was only one solution and he needed to act quickly.
Closing his arms around the woman he shushed her quietly and embraced her, holding her shaking body steadily in his arms as he lifted his wand towards her neck, the soft flesh exposed to him. He murmured quietly and watched a laceration form on her skin beneath the tip of his wand and watched as an angry bead of red appeared from within the cut he had made. The wound quickly spilled out onto her skin, a river of red oozing down past her chest. The woman loosened her hold on him and stared at him in shock, raising a hand to her neck quickly and shaking in horror at the crimson liquid that covered her hands. Realizing what he had done, she opened her mouth to let out another scream, but suddenly fell weakly onto her knees, unable to speak or even whisper. She gave him one last confused look before she toppled over onto the floor, her eyes open and distant.
Tom watched as the light faded from her eyes, signaling that her suffering was over and turned towards the creature once more. "Not as painful as her fate should have been, but a quick end was the best way."
His heart started to beat quickly when he realized the room had fallen silent, the sound of gnashing teeth and splitting bones had ceased. Understanding what it had meant, Tom quickly turned his attention towards where the man's corpse lay and felt his breath escape his mouth slowly….she was no longer there. Gripping his wand tightly, he moved forward, glancing around the room for where it could be hiding.
"Last time I saw the creature, it ran from me in fear...I don't think it would attack me unless it felt threatened…"
A window across from him caught his eye and he looked towards it, frowning as he noticed the broken glass spread across the floor, the wood paneling torn and dangling from the window that looked as if it had already been partially open before the attack.
"So that's how it got in...but I didn't hear it leave…" Flicking his wand towards the shattered window, he watched as the pieces of splintered wood and exploded glass picked themselves off the floor, rearranging neatly back into the windowpane as if nothing had ever happened. He carefully turned back around to examine the room when suddenly he was knocked off his feet, the air escaping from his lungs as long sharp claws grazed his shirt, tearing it apart. Tom dodged out of the way as he hit the floor, narrowly escaping the bloodied nails that once more lashed out at his exposed flesh. The creature emitted a strange gurgled sound as it stood opposite him, it's black eyes staring back at him hauntingly. It gaze settled upon the open window next to them before looking towards him once more, as if it was trying to gauge its escape.
Tom, angry that he had been caught off guard, brandished his wand in front of him as he looked down the torn fabric of his shirt, watching as crimson beads started to form from a small scratch on his chest. He observed the creature once more, curious at its behavior.
"Maybe taking away it's next victim wasn't the greatest idea..." Tom thought bitterly as he looked at it's decrepit body and cadaver-like appearance, his heart suddenly relaxing in his chest an idea crept into his mind. "A beast like this is not entirely made to fight...it's only defense is its speed - and those claws...it ran from me previously because it knew it could not fight me and win, which would explain why it chose muggles instead of attacking anyone in Sani's house tonight…"
He kept his eyes on it carefully, thinking quickly of the spells he would need to subdue it successfully before it tried to evade him. After what felt like an eternity, his back against the wall, it lunged once more, it's claws outstretched, it's mouth open, teeth gnashing violently against the air as it dashed quickly towards the open window.
"Your fun is over for now I'm afraid." Tom thought as he brandished his wand quickly, a bright stream of light exploding from it's tip as he screamed towards the beast.
"Stupify!"
The creature was flung backwards through the air into the wall and met it with a loud thud, its body dropping to the floor. Tom watched it's rotted chest rise and fall as he walked towards it cautiously, his wand still raised before him. "Just as I thought...all teeth and no bite...it has no natural way to defend itself against magic..."
Small cries of pain echoed out from it's mouth and he bent down towards it, his eyes looking over its putrid form, concerned as to whether or not he had inflicted any serious wounds to its body. He was unsure if it's injuries would be sustained by Lyra after it was forced back into submission. "No serious harm appears to have been done...which means Lyra should be uninjured."
"Surgito." He murmured softly and watched as the decaying heap of flesh and bones before him started to fade away, leaving her unconscious body laying on the floor. As he leaned in towards her, he noticed a bright red ball of light emerge from her chest, hovering steadily above her crumpled frame.
"What is that?"
Narrowing his eyes at the auspicious light, he raised his wand towards it, curious at its unexplained presence. As if it knew his intentions, it whipped around the room excitedly until it finally escaped out the open window, evading whatever spell he might have thrown at it.
"Interesting…"
He heard Lyra stir, soft groans escaping from her lips and he glanced at the carnage around the room, grimacing. "It's probably best if she not see any more reminders of what she's done…"
Tom walked over to where the mutilated man lay and waved his wand effortlessly over the corpse, watching as it disappeared before his eyes. He started to walk around the room, flicking his wand once more to clear the room of debri and gore, but stopped when he heard her voice call out to him, pained and soft.
"Tom?"
He turned around and watched as she propped herself up from off the stained carpet, wobbling slightly as she stood to her feet. She held her hands out before her, caked with blood and flesh and trembled slightly. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she motioned towards the woman lying before them and slowly opened her mouth as if to speak.
"I thought it best if you didn't see." He cut her off, his words calm and quiet as he made his way over towards her..
Lyra looked towards the woman, still laying still on the floor and frowned at the large pool of blood beside her before looking towards him.
"Did I-"
"I killed her." He said quietly, interrupting her sentence once more. "You made quite a mess of her husband though…"
Tom ignored the look of disgust that raced across her face as he stepped in front of the dead woman, waving his wand impatiently. Within moments she disappeared, along with the pool of blood that had stained the carpet beneath her. "I thought it best that you didn't see."
Lyra watched him carefully as he murmured under his breath, cleaning up the destruction she had wrought. When he had finished, he turned around to smirk at her quickly and let out a soft sigh of exasperation as he noticed her gaze glance towards his chest, the blood slowly trickling out from his wound onto the torn fabric of his shirt.
"You're hurt."
"It's nothing. Perhaps it's time we should go."
Still confused by the events of the night she shook her head and gave him a disoriented look. "Although I appreciate what you've done, you don't have to clean up my mess…or try to hide the things I've done."
"You need a clear mind. I thought that if you didn't have to look, it might not distress you as much…is that not why you called out to me?" He raised his arm carefully, showing her the raised black mark. Lyra closed her eyes and shook her head softly.
"I didn't know what else to do….I thought that you might be able to stop all of this before it happened…"
"I tried."
Lyra motioned towards where the woman used to be laying. "The woman...surely you could have just obliviated her mind instead of-"
"She can't really be concerned over the life of one muggle? I came to her aid tonight and instead of gratitude, this is the first thing she asks?" Tom rolled his eyes, irritated by her sudden question and smiled softly, trying to retain his composure.
"I'm afraid it was too late for that by the time I got here. I needed to act quickly and she was quite unhinged. Even if I had tried, I hardly doubt that would have saved her life...it was either I took it away painlessly, or you did...quite torturously."
"I see…" She said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I suppose I'm indebted to you for saving me once more…the blood should be on my hands, not yours."
He gave her a reassuring smile and closed the distance between them, grabbing her shoulders while he gave them a gentle squeeze. "I assure you my hands are no filthier than before...I should get you home. You need your rest."
Lyra stared at the mark on his arm and shuddered, running a finger along her own "It all happened so fast...I wasn't sure of what to do…I would never have normally-"
"You did the right thing Lyra." He murmured as he ran his hand gently down her arm and grabbed her own. "I told you to let me help you."
"Still…its not your problem to worry about."
"Where would you be if I wasn't here?"
She looked around the newly cleaned room and sighed. "Probably eating the family's dog if they had one."
Tom let out a short laugh and watched as she disapparated from the room quickly, following closely behind her.
"Its not safe to be here." Lyra muttered as she walked around her room, repairing the damage she had inflicted upon it.
"Its no safer anywhere else." Tom stated plainly, leaning his tall frame against the wall as he watched her.
"Sani could have been hurt."
"He understands the risk."
Lyra bit her lip as she looked down at the broken potion bottle, the pieces of glass scattered across the floor.
"You have bigger problems than worrying about his safety." He said flatly, running a hand through his dark black hair. "The potion...it was tampered with."
Her head turned towards him sharply and she narrowed her eyes. "How is that possible? It hasn't left my possession."
"I'm unsure myself, but it wasn't the same potion that was brewed."
Lyra crossed her arms around herself and tapped her fingers impatiently against her arm. "That's troubling…"
Tom opened his mouth slightly, prepared to divulge what he had uncovered and the house guest that he had lost track of, but before he could speak she interrupted him.
"I can't stay here any longer."
"Where will you go?" He asked quietly.
"I don't know. Tomorrow I'll get every piece of information I can from Sani and leave. I can't stay in one place for long...especially now that my situation is once more out of my control. I'll have to figure out some other way to -"
Tom watched as she paced back and forth, the words pouring from her mouth starting to fade away into the background. He could not bring himself to focus on her worries, instead wondering himself how he should bring up to her once more his proposal. He watched as she sat down at her desk, impatiently tapping her hands against its marred surface.
"I made a mistake before." She exclaimed softly and bit her lip.
He snapped from his thoughts and looked towards her eagerly, his heart skipping a beat. Perhaps he wouldn't need to ask him once more, perhaps she had realized the error of her decision and knew that there was no other solution to her condition -
"The cave. Before you voiced your concern and I was too quick to dismiss you."
Tom felt the disappointment rise in his chest and frowned. "You said yourself you had already tried -"
"I did. Multiple times...but you had mentioned something….something at the time I found to be quite...intrusive. I've racked my brain over and over as to how this could have happened and what I did wrong to have ended up like this…"
He felt a small grin tug at his mouth, waiting to hear the rest of what she was about to say. It wasn't exactly what he had hoped for, but the idea that she was skirting around excited him nonetheless.
"As much as I dislike the idea…if you were still willing…" Her voice trailed off uncomfortably and she closed her eyes to regain her composure and started to speak once more, her voice more resolute than it had been before. "A second pair of eyes reliving my experiences might be exactly what I need. Perhaps there's something you might catch that I didn't."
"I was under the impression that the idea of me rifling around through your memories and thoughts was strictly prohibited." He said slowly, his voice slick with sarcasm as he pushed himself off the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.
"As...unappealing and undignified it is to me, pride is unfortunately not a luxury I can afford any longer, despite the discomfort...I must put my self preservation first instead."
"I see."
"That being said, I can't ask you to help me once more without offering you anything in return."
He eyed her carefully, dismayed by her statement. It seemed as if she was pulling away from him once more, treating the bond they had forged like more of a business arrangement then a personal one. Tom could not help but wonder if it was a tactical move on her behalf, keeping him at arm's length as if to deter him from her and lessen the blow of his departure against her psyche.
"You possess nothing I want." He answered smugly. "I won't let her win this little game she's trying to play."
"Name a price."
"I'm afraid I have little use of money." He lied, watching a frustrated frown spread across her face.
"I doubt that...but fine, have it your way." Lyra sighed and waved her hand effortlessly, a few books floating into her outstretched hands as she held them out towards him. "These books are priceless...and full of magic that other's could only dream of."
He reached out hungrily towards the books and smirked as he opened them, the text unfamiliar and strange to his eyes. Closing them quietly he grinned and looked back towards her. "They might be priceless to you, but I can't read these languages...which makes them useless to me."
Tom watched her lips tighten as he placed them down gently upon her desk.
"Tell me what you want then, if knowledge and money aren't what you seek."
Tom let out a soft laugh and sat against the desk looking at her curiously. He could tell that his rejections were frustrating her, the game not going as she had planned. "What makes you think that I want anything? I offered to help you earlier without any sort of stipulation...the offer still stands."
Lyra crossed her arms around herself uncomfortably. "I can't keep accepting your help for free."
"You've helped me numerous times along our little journey, without asking for a fee or favor. Perhaps it's only fair that I return the sentiment."
"You've returned the favor plenty of times…" Her voice faltered quickly and he let out another chuckle, running a hand through his hair, brushing the stray locks from his face.
"...And so have you...Consider it a parting gift then, if nothing else." He responded, smirking at the irritation and sadness that spread across her face, knowing that his remark would make her hurt.
Lyra stared off for a moment, a sea of emotions tugging at her while she tried to ignore what he had said and sighed, sitting down softly onto the bed. "Fine."
Deciding that he was done playing with her emotions, he let out an exasperated sigh and motioned towards her. "Lay down."
"I'd rather not."
"It will hurt." He walked over towards her and sat down gently on the bed.
"I don't care."
Tom looked at her and watched as her eyes met his, her eyes steeled and determined. Without thinking he suddenly raised a hand towards her face, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her neck. He watched as her cheeks turned red and her hand rose up to meet his, pulling it away softly and nodding, signaling that she was ready.
Letting out a soft breath, he focused his concentration towards her and felt his consciousness linger outside her own, preparing himself to be met with the same brick wall he had encountered when they had first met...but this time, there was none.
He heard her let out a soft gasp as he plunged headfirst into her mind, various memories and thoughts assaulting him at once.
Visions of a young girl started to appear and he could feel the rage and desperation rolling off of her as she sat alone inside a room, scribbling notes onto a blank parchment as she devoured a thick book, suddenly pausing as she looked up at a picture on the desk and grabbed it carefully, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. Wiping her eyes and shaking her head in anger he watched as she placed the frame face down upon the table, the photograph now hidden from plain view as she continued her reading, her quill scraping furiously against the page.
He was pulled from the memory quickly as felt another enter his mind, hazy until it came into focus and watched as Lyra, now older and in her teenage years, pushed past him dressed in a school uniform clutching her books tightly. A small group of kids her age, led by a younger Cassian, joined him in taunting her as they followed her down a corridor of Ilvermorny. He could hear their japes and jokes as she disappeared from sight, trying hard to escape them.
Once more he felt himself pulled into another memory, this time Lyra appeared as an adult, only slightly younger than she was now, but her face lacked the series of scars that she now possessed, her eyes both a dark amber, very different from the two mismatching ones that he had learned to grow fond of. She stood in a dimly lit grey and black brick room, a small neat wooden desk before her, centered directly under a small floating candle that gave off the only illumination in the room. He watched as she approached it calmly, picking up a small plaque that displayed her name across it's front, running her fingers over the letters.
"It's not a large office," He heard an older man say as he walked into the room behind them, his face kind and stern at the same time. "But seeing as you'll hardly be spending any time in it, it shouldn't matter."
"It'll do perfectly." Lyra said softly as she placed the plaque back down, setting her purse down against the wooden surface of the desk. "Now, as per the cases that were left unfinished before I was hired, where might I -"
He watched the older man laugh as he gestured towards a small pile that lay in the corner of the room atop a small bookshelf. "They said you were eager to begin working as quickly as possible and I knew from your initial interview that you would not disappoint, being the valedictorian of your class and the long list of accolades and recommendations behind your name...but as this is your first day, don't feel as if you need to immediately dive into your work - perhaps you should take the day to get acquainted -"
"I'm quite familiar with the Magical Congress and it's layout already. I think that the longer these cases sit on this desk, the more grievous -"
"-- I meant perhaps you should take some time to be familiarized with the rest of your department. It can be harrowing to step into the shoes of those that came before you, especially at such a young age. Relationships will have to be forged and you'll find it easier to assign work once you take some time to become acquainted with their talents."
"I hardly think that's necessary." Lyra said softly as she walked over to the pile of parchment, reaching for it as she read them hungrily, walking over towards her desk. "I personally feel that work relationships should remain as such and as per their talent, I'll familiarize myself with their individual gifts once I hand them their assignments."
He watched as she frowned, reading over the papers before setting them down beside her. "Some of these cases date back quite awhile...no one would be surprised if it takes you some time to work through them."
"You'll find that I'll have these sorted and situated by the time employee reviews are due...it's pitiful that these have sat in a pile for so long..."
"Yes well...the work is difficult and the department has struggled to find ways to control -"
"Perhaps it's wise then that I not form any attachments too quickly...I have a feeling the department will feel a lot less populated once everyone's performance is properly evaluated."
The man let out a small nervous laugh and nodded. "I'm sure you'll find everyone willing and able to perform to your standard."
"We'll see." Lyra murmured as she picked up the papers once more, reading them excitedly. Tom heard her say something else, but the room quickly disappeared from his vision as he felt Lyra subconsciously pull away from him.
These were not the memories he needed and he felt her start to place her walls up once more, blocking him from past events she wanted to keep private.
Frowning, tried to sort through her memories more carefully, her feelings and emotions bombarding him once more. Sifting through her mind as though it were a book, he paused carefully as he stumbled upon a memory, noticing her mind flare at his presence, signaling he had indeed found what he was looking for.
The vision becoming clearer, he suddenly found himself staring at Lyra and two companions, one whom he recognized as Cassian, the other unknown to him.
"That must be the man named Albert she had mentioned..."
He watched as Cassian walked up towards Lyra, his lips cracked and dry as he wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead.
"Are you sure you want to do this Lyra? MACUSA has already called us back, perhaps we should-"
"Don't be ridiculous Cassian. We've encountered far worse things than an empty cave...besides who else is more qualified to investigate this than us? I'm sure it won't take longer than an hour at most. We'll be on the next train home before nightfall."
"If MACUSA finds out…"
"What is there to be worried about? If we find nothing, MACUSA will be relieved to hear it and if we find something and rectify the situation, they'll be hard pressed to do anything other than pat us on the back for the excellent job we've done. Either way it's a win win situation…what do you say Albert?"
The older wizard at her side looked at her and let out a soft chuckle, nodding towards Cassian. "I agree with you although I wouldn't blame Cassian one bit if he wanted to sit this once out...he's still a little green when it comes to field work."
Cassian turned towards the man sharply. "I'm not afraid, I simply don't want MACUSA punishing us for defying orders…"
Tom listened as his voice became strange and blurred, the words not quite matching his lips.
Lyra rolled her eyes and started walking off towards the cave, her wand held out before her. He watched as she talked to the men, verbiage that seemed unlike her own poured from her mouth and he knew that although the voice seemed to be hers, the entire memory was scrambled and incoherent.
He followed her as they made their way further into the cave climbing downwards and descending into its black depths, the only light to be seen radiating from their wands pointed below. Without warning he felt himself pulled from the memory and thrust into another, watching as she awoke inside a dark cavern, observing the world through her blurry eyes he tried to make out a few objects that lay before her in the dim light, growing frustrated at her altered eyesight and the items that never came into focus. He watched through her perspective as she looked around, finally noticing the lifeless body of Albert that lay next to her, unresponsive, his eyes open accompanied by a strange look plastered upon his face. Cassian lay crumpled in a heap to her left, his chest rising slowly as she scrambled over to him, propping his head up against her lap. Grasping tightly onto the two men, Tom watched as she murmured quietly under her breath, disapparating them out from within the confines of the cave and back into the harsh climate of the desert, the sun beating down upon them as she sat shocked and in disbelief. Following her focus, he realized that the opening to the cave was no longer there and that she stared instead towards the side of a giant boulder, a smooth surface of rock and sand where the entrance should have been.
Feeling her trembling body next to his he slowly withdrew from her mind, troubled and unsure of what to make of her patchy memory.
The room was the same as when he left it, Lyra sat on the bed next to him, clutching at her head uncomfortably.
"Well?" Tom looked into her confused eyes, watching as she winced in pain from the experience. He had tried to be as gentle as possible, but having one inside your mind was never a comfortable feeling.
"Did you notice anything...odd?"
He let out a soft sigh and stood up from the bed, unsure of how to respond. "You should rest."
"Not until you answer me."
"Lyra…" he began, trying to choose his words carefully. "Those memories...they're not complete."
"What do you mean?" She said sharply, holding her head in pain as her eyes followed him.
"Did you ever notice that your whole experience was somewhat...incomplete?"
"The whole experience is cloudy to me." She murmured, "But that's all I can remember, I've tried everything…"
"Trying to simply remember won't work because you won't be able to." He shook his head sharply, running a thumb softly over his lip. There was only one explanation as to why her memories were presented to him in such a fashion. Others, far older than the ones he sought, were crisper, full of more clarity than he had expected. It was of no fault of her own that she couldn't remember the cave.
"I don't understand…" she started but stopped as he raised a hand to silence her.
"Your memories have been altered."
"Altered...but how? That's impossible."
"I think the how doesn't really matter does it?" He said dryly and sat down beside her once more. "We know how that works and there are large inconsistant gaps where it could have easily been done. The important question is why someone would have felt the need to do that to you...and who."
She sat quietly next to him and he watched as she bit her lip, her face full of concern. "I was the first person to wake up in the cave...there's no way anyone could have even had a chance -"
"You need to rest." Tom said once more. "Trying to rack your brain for answers right now isn't going to solve anything. You're weak, your mind is exhausted. Tomorrow is a new day and I think that you'll need to be well rested to soak in any new information you might discover." He stood up quickly and started to walk towards the door, a multitude of ideas racing through his mind. He needed to be alone, to think about everything he had seen.
"I need to go back to the cave."
He turned back around towards her sharply and shook his head. "Not alone and not tonight in the state you're in."
"I'll have to go alone. I don't have any other option, besides...having anyone else with me won't prevent anything - as you yourself clearly saw."
He thought back to her blurry vision and the strange objects that could barely be made out in the darkness. "I don't know what I saw."
"You might want to bathe before you go out in public again." He said flatly as he pointed to the blood still caked thickly against her hands and face. "Though if you transform once more due to your lack of strength, I suppose cleaning yourself would hardly be worth it."
He heard her sigh and watched as she summoned a small bowl of water and a towel, washing the blood off her body carefully. Lyra winced as she stretched her arm up, tugging her arm out of the sleeve of her dress to pull it down, revealing a large yellow and purple bruise that had begun to form on the side of her ribs.
Tom stared at the wound emotionless, knowing that it had been the result of his stunning spell. "It was necessary."
"It could be worse." She let out a half laugh as she winced in pain, trying to hold the hot cloth to her side.
"Very true, you could be eating the family dog right now." He mused, referring back to the joke she had made earlier. She looked at him and smirked, still trying to slowly ease herself out of her dress.
He sat in her doorway, torn between leaving her to her own devices and whether he should stay. Tom knew that although everything within him screamed that he should leave, his continued presence around her would probably prove more beneficial to his cause, perhaps it was best if he let the events of the night settle before thinking upon them any further.
"Here let me help." He said softly and shut the door behind them, walking over towards her.
"You don't have to really...I'm capable of undressing myself thank you." She struggled with the tight fabric of her dress and growled as the constant tugging motion continued to gnaw painfully at her side. He watched her in amusement as her shoulders slumped, defeated and in pain.
He stood behind her closely and felt her body tense as his fingers grazed her shoulders, carefully pulling down at the zipper she couldn't reach. Tom slowly moved the other sleeve off her shoulder, his fingers touching her skin before stepping back as she finally wriggled out from the outfit. She tugged carefully at her white shift, making sure that it didn't cling to her body and stepped away from him quickly, as if his close proximity made her feel uneasy.
"Your chest." She pointed towards him and he glanced down, the front of his body still covered in his own blood mingled with the tattered remains of his shirt.
"It's nothing, just a small cut...I'll be fine."
She shook her head impatiently and summoned a vial of dittany from her purse, opening it carefully. "It will only take a moment…"
Before he could argue, he felt the sting of the potion on his chest and watched as the cut slowly disappeared, leaning nothing but his bare chest and a torn shirt behind. Lyra raised her hand gently to his shirt and grazed her fingers against the ripped fabric, murmuring softly under her breath.
"Fabricae Reparo."
The shirt slowly stitched itself back together, the hems closing around where they had once torn apart, he could no longer tell at all that it had been destroyed in the first place. She waved her hand over it once more and every trace of blood vanished from its surface, the fabric clean and tidy once more.
"That's better." She whispered softly, her fingers lingering on his shirt for a moment before turning around to quickly dispose of the bloody water. After she had finished he heard her break the silence between them suddenly, her voice hesitant and unsure.
"Have you decided on which way you should travel?"
Her question caught him off guard and he sat down in the chair by her desk, wondering why she had asked him such a question.
"Whichever way strikes me as the most beneficial."
"You could travel by sea...although I find that trains and portkeys are by far the most interesting way...you'll have far more opportunities to soak up different cultures if you choose that route."
"I see." He said quietly, the silence between them in the room almost deafening. "Have you been to Brazil before?"
"Once." She said shortly, wincing in pain as she made her way towards the bed, sitting down on its edge softly. "I was required to go there on official MACUSA business to give my expertise on a certain artefact...didn't get to explore much though, I was called back almost immediately. I'm afraid the journey there was longer than my actual stay. In school we had an exchange program that would allow us to spend a semester abroad -"
Lyra winced once more and applied some pressure to her side. " - but unfortunately Sani could not afford the expenses and my mother left me with very little."
"How disappointing."
She shrugged and looked at him curiously, an edge of irritation in her voice. "Do you plan on staying here all night?"
"I haven't decided."
"I'm fine."
"My concern isn't your well being unfortunately." He gave her a wry look. "I'm afraid I have to admit I don't trust you."
"You don't trust me?" Lyra said skeptically, raising an eyebrow in his direction.
"Well...seeing that you no longer have any control over your condition, I can hardly leave you without wondering if you'll turn...The idea of having to hunt you down for a second time tonight doesn't quite appeal to me."
"Fair." She admitted slowly, her voice still unsure. "Although none of this is your responsibility…"
"...and I also don't trust that you won't run away recklessly into the night, chasing down some cave that you may or may not find."
"I'm perfectly capable of handling myself -"
"Maybe you once could. But not anymore. You don't even know yourself." He argued, waving a hand dismissively through the air. "Your body will continue to betray you day by day at the whim of whatever it is that lives inside you."
He watched her face stare at him with an emotion he had not seen in a long time.
Hatred…
A pure loathing of his presence…
"So I think I will sit here a little longer if you don't mind." He continued. "It's for the best."
"This will put an end to any chance of her running away into the night. For more than one reason I can't let that happen…"
The silence between them lasted for what felt like ages until he heard her voice break the ice between them once more.
"So how do you plan on doing it then?"
Her question baffled him once more and he felt annoyed to even ask, unsure of what she meant. "How do I plan on doing what?"
"A few days ago. You spoke to me of your intentions...your plans for the future."
He hadn't forgotten their conversation, nor her willingness to hear him out when he had mentioned it. "Carefully. That's how I plan to achieve everything we spoke of. Once I've finished gathering everything I need, the possibilities will be endless."
"Do you think others will understand what you'll be trying to achieve?"
"At some point or another." He answered vaguely. He knew there were those who awaited him back home, those who would be more than willing to help him carry out his will. "But time is on my side. I'm patient...I know that it will take years to achieve what it is I desire...what is necessary. "
Tom looked towards her carefully, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why is it you ask?"
She shrugged quickly, as if to minimize her interest and murmured quietly. "Just a faint curiosity, although I'd be lying if I didn't occasionally think about what life would be like for me if I didn't have to hide my true interests from others, to live as I am freely, without fear of being locked away. What it might be like if I ever found myself free from this…affliction. What I might be able to do..."
He felt a heat rise in his chest and he responded to her ideation thoughtfully. "Life can only be what you make of it Lyra. If you feel chained or caged, it is because you placed the bars around yourself."
His response was met with a cool silence and he found himself unsure of whether she had fallen asleep or had decided to remain quiet on purpose. Either way, he was grateful for the lack of conversation, his head was still swimming from the events of the night.
"Tonight has taken an unexpected turn...I think Sani was correct in his assumption that this Chindi was not the only problem affecting her...there are too many factors involved for there to be a simple solution. Nothing about this is right at all…"
Tom looked towards the bed and looked at her figure nestled between the sheets, her dark hair splayed across the pillow beneath her head.
"Regardless of the circumstance, I cannot stay..."
He thought back quietly to the events that had occurred and still felt unsettled about the intruder, annoyed that he had been unable to investigate the matter further.
"By now whoever was in the house is surely gone...but why were they here to begin with?"
The phrases and thoughts he had overheard troubled him and the idea of someone lurking around in the shadows was bothersome.
"Perhaps Lyra's secret isn't as well protected as she tried to keep it...and if they followed us to the desert, what else have they seen? This does not bode well...for either of us."
It made him angry to think someone had possibly nosed into his affairs, his findings were meant for his eyes and his eyes alone. He would not allow anyone ruin or hinder his chances at success. The situation would have to be dealt with accordingly.
"Perhaps my departure was planned too hastily…"
Sorry for the delay, as I said earlier writing has been a little difficult for me, between work and the holiday season, I've been swamped! (Also these next chapters are going to take me longer because the story will be wrapping up shortly and I have to spend hours reading and re-reading chapters to make sure everything lines up and wraps up perfectly where it needs to be. I can't rush the writing and I find myself re-writing and rethinking critical conversations and events that can't be done in a hurried manner. So everyone please bear with me lmao)
Anyway, I'm very happy with how this chapter turned out even though it took me forever to pen! There's a lot that needed to be covered and it had to be made a little longer so it didn't end in a crazy cliffhanger like the last one. So let just begin to unpack some of the important things that happened!
Tom finally got to see the brutal acts that Lyra performs when she transformed and although it seemed to disgust him (because I feel like that would disgust anyone, regardless of their nature) it didn't seem to deter him at all (he even went as far as killing someone to help cover it up)...if anything it seemed like it almost amused him to watch her attack muggles. Not shocked that he killed in cold blood, it's totally his M.O. I think the question is will he stick around? Will he leave her? Will she follow him? Who knows. All we know is that he's suspicious and angry...and a ticked off Tom Riddle is never a good thing.
Lyra appears to have grown fond of the idea of following Tom, but there are a lot of factors affecting her decision making now as well. She no longer can control herself, her memories are muddled and distorted and everything combined is just creating this perfect storm that has her essentially fighting for her life. It will be interesting to see what she decides or what her fate will actually be.
(BTW, what the hell was up with the red orb that Tom noticed? It may prove to be important in future chapters, it might not, but its definitely something I don't see him letting go of)
Tom never got the chance to tell her about what he saw or about the suspected intruder in the house, does he plan on telling her? Or will he hold all this information back from her to get what he wants? It seems like every time she finds out something new, it pushes her further away from him.
There was a small bit of fluff in this chapter...awkward fluff. Both of them are not emotionally available people, their personalities both somwhat falling into the INTJ category, so I think if either of them were to explore their sexuality it would not only feel strange but their interactions would be painfully awkward. (Although it seems like Tom is growing more and more inclined to the idea.) Next chapter is going to be very intense and we're all going to be getting a few surprises! That being said…
Don't forget to review, fav or follow if you have enjoyed the story! More to come, so stay tuned! :3